Present & Persuade

Access recordings online for 12 months!

You've no doubt attended presentations that were absolutely monumental: the speaker was bursting with energy, they were engaging, inspiring, and on-point. It hit home and connected with you.

But you've also slogged through some in which you've struggled to stifle yawns and keep your eyes open.

Why such a difference? What makes a great presentation? What does it take to captivate, inspire, and persuade an audience? And how can you harness that power and use it in your own day-to-day professional life?

In our newest course, Present & Persuade, you'll not only get the answers to those questions and more, but you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at art and science of persuasion from CEOs, presentation experts, college professors, behavioral therapists, researchers, and authors.

Some of the things you'll learn:

How to project a strong, confident, and dynamic presence

How to form an emotional connection with any audience

Some of the most common presentation mistakes and how to avoid them

The use of motivational triggers to positively influence decision-making

Building a sales pitch around your customer instead of your product

During these 7 classes, you'll discover how to unlock the secrets of persuasive presentations, perfectly tailored to your audience's needs. Plus, our expert instructors will provide you invaluable information as well as answer your questions in our exclusive Present & Persuade Facebook group.

How does it work? Present & Persuade includes 7 classes (each 30-40 minutes long). All classes are recorded and available for viewing any time, on your computer or mobile device. Watch them at your convenience for 12 months.

For each class, you'll have access to the class lecture (streaming media), as well as several types of support materials: the slide deck (PDF), the audio track (MP3, so you can listen to the lectures on other devices), a transcript (PDF), and a "cheat sheet" (PDF). Once you view all of the classes, you can download a Certificate of Completion (PDF).

As part of the course, you'll also get access to our course-exclusive Facebook group to network and share your questions and insights with fellow MPU students, staff, and instructors.

As a Present & Persuade student, you'll also receive these free course materials:

PreZentation Techniques to Reduce Public Speaking Stress and Increase Confidence

Speaker:
Beth Buelow—CEO, The Introverted Entrepreneur

Whether you dread being in the spotlight or love talking to people (just not when all eyes are on you), this class will show techniques for calming your mind and preparing yourself to speak up and out in groups with confidence and authority—even if your knees are knocking. We'll draw inspiration from Zen principles, improv, and personality types. Perfect for professionals who want to place their trust in something more effective than picturing the audience in their underwear.

You will learn:

How to silence your inner, "you're not a good speaker!" critic

Why introvert strengths contribute to powerful presentations and how to use them

Simple techniques to build your confidence and think on your feet when speaking with groups large and small

Onstage, most great presenters are bold, dynamic, inspiring, and engaging. But what are they like offstage? It's true that many great presenters have had thrilling moments that become the basis for their presentations, but it's the boring day-to-day habits that give them the ability to recognize these experiences. It's the potential of this so-called "boring" life that this class will examine.

The Six Most Common Presentation Mistakes (and How to Stop Making Them)

Speaker:
John Bevan—Senior Consultant, BrightCarbon

How do you get your audience to sit up and listen—and, more important, to keep listening? Do you know if you're presenting the right messages at each stage of the consideration cycle? And what do prospects need to hear to make a decision in your favor? This class will answer these burning questions to help you avoid some common pitfalls that can undermine your sales presentations and turn off your audiences.

You will learn:

How structuring information from the customer/prospect's perspective can have a powerful effect on engagement

The difference between "Why change?" and "Why us?" arguments, and when to use them

To build audience credibility (and achieve company objectives) by making your pitch all about them, instead of all about you

As a speaker, your goal is to convince audience members that you are worthy of their time and attention. But why should they give you their valuable time? In this class, you will learn how to build a strong connection with your audience from the moment you enter a room or walk onstage.

Create Your Best Presentation by Understanding the Science of Motivation

Speaker:
Andrea Kuszewski—Researcher and Manager, VORTEX Research Group

How do you decide on the content of your presentation? What type of content will result in the highest level of learning? You want people to not only like your presentation but also feel inspired and compelled to take action. This class will go over the basics of human motivation, as well as motivation triggers for your specific audience, so you'll be better prepared to create the most engaging, memorable, and effective presentations possible.

You will learn:

The science behind motivation: What fuels it, and what kills it? And why is this critical to understand?

The difference between pleasure and motivation, and why this distinction is important

How to tailor content for any audience, based on what they respond to best

In any sales presentation, the point at which you present your recommendation to the client is critical, and how that recommendation is presented has as much to do with its acceptance as the recommendation itself. This class will show you how to use the Objectives, Benefits, and Features (OBF) formula to articulate what your product or service can do for the client in a way that connects on an emotional level.

Persuasion is a central part of our daily lives. We rely on our persuasive skills to convince our friends to eat at a specific restaurant, our co-workers to agree with our proposal, or our boss to give us a raise. In this class, we will go "inside" persuasive messages to understand how and why they work.

Instructors

Andrea
Kuszewski, an affiliate scholar of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies,
lives in San Francisco and works as a researcher and manager at VORTEX Research
Group, investigating the neurocognitive factors behind human behavior. She is
also a behavior therapist and consultant, as well as a popular and widely
published science writer and a ... more »

Beth was
seven when she dreamed up her first entrepreneurial venture, 23 when she
learned she was an introvert, and 38 when she put the two together to create
The Introvert Entrepreneur. Her coaching, speaking, and writing resonates with
introverts who want to amplify their strengths, and extroverts who want to
understand why introverts are ... more »

John
Bevan heads up the presentation visualization team at BrightCarbon, helping
companies deliver compelling and persuasive presentations. A master's graduate in analytical
aesthetics, he has 10 years of experience producing presentations that have
helped companies win billions of dollars of new business globally. John also
trains and coaches sales and marketing teams for live, online, ... more »

Scott Schwertly is the author of How to Be a Presentation God (Wiley, 2011) and CEO of Ethos3, a Nashville, Tennessee-based presentation boutique providing presentation design and training for national and international clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to branded individuals like Guy Kawasaki. He has a BA and an ... more »

Dr.
Steven D. Cohen is a faculty member at the Harvard Division of Continuing
Education and an assistant professor of communication at the University of
Baltimore. He is an award-winning speaker who has delivered more
than 100 courses and workshops on public speaking and workplace
communication. He has been quoted in publications such as the ... more »

Tim Sieck is a principal partner at On Target Talent, a professional-services firm that helps organizations assess, develop, and retain key talent. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Upper Iowa University, where he earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in organizational management. His clients have included ... more »